JJ McCarthy threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as Minnesota Vikings severely damaged Dallas' playoff hopes with a 34-26 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday night.
The Vikings (6-8) won a second consecutive game after they were eliminated from the post-season playoff race before the kick-off. Minnesota was a 14-win playoff qualifier a year ago.
The Cowboys (6-7-1) have to win their three remaining games and hope defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia goes 0-3 in order for Dallas to overtake the Eagles in the NFC East. It was a second straight loss for Dallas after getting over .500 for the first time this season.
"It's just a thing to keep building on the rest of the way and leading into next year," said Minnesota receiver Jalen Nailor, who caught both of McCarthy's TD passes. "We just have a one-game mindset no matter what our record is."
Nailor scored on a 20-yard catch for Minnesota's first points, and Ham's 1-yard plunge put the Vikings ahead 24-23 late in the third quarter.
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Brandon Aubrey kicked four field goals and had a 6-yard run for a first down on a fake to keep alive the drive to Dallas' first touchdown, but he missed multiple field goals at home for the first time in his three seasons.
Aubrey was wide right from 51 and 59 yards, the latter setting up a short field for a drive that ended in Nailor's 4-yard catch for a 31-23 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings forced a turnover on downs when Malik Davis' catch was originally ruled a first down on fourth-and-7, but replay assist quickly reversed the call.
Aaron Jones ran 4 yards on fourth-and-1, and Will Reichard kicked a clinching 53-yard field goal with 1:08 remaining after Dallas' unsuccessful challenge that Jones was down before the ball came out on a 16-yard run for another first down.
Aubrey's fourth field goal got Dallas within eight with 19 seconds remaining, but Josh Oliver recovered the onside kick.
McCarthy was 15 of 24 for 250 yards with an interception, a tipped ball that ended up in the arms of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on his first pass of the game. Williams was later ruled out with a concussion.
McCarthy's touchdown was a nifty fourth-and-1 bootleg when he walked into the end zone all alone. While McCarthy has struggled most of the season, his record as the starter improved to 4-4.
"I think just experience, getting to my eighth game and just feeing more and more comfortable in the pocket, seeing the defenses," McCarthy said. "I'm just another piece of the puzzle."
Dak Prescott, the NFL leader in yards passing coming in, was 23 of 38 for 294 yards but was held without a touchdown pass for just the third time this season. Javonte Williams and Malik Davis each had a 1-yard TD run for Dallas.
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